Key phrases in Vietnamese that travelers should know

Although in popular tourist destinations and larger cities it is just about possible to get by without knowing a word of Vietnamese, insisting on speaking your own language all the time will isolate you from the majority of Vietnamese people and leave you less likely to make friends and relationships you will remember from your travels.

By learning to speak just a few words of Vietnamese you can greatly improve your experience, reduce misunderstandings and frustrations and have a chance to talk – however briefly – with individuals who work outside of the tourist service industry, giving you a far greater appreciation of the Vietnamese culture and outlook on life.

Vietnamese Pod Class is a free podcast for those who want to learn Vietnamese Language. It focuses on conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar and popular expressions.

Give it a try! It will make your journey around this beautiful country much easier.

Click here to learn Vietnamese
– SurvivalPhrases

Yes/No
Yes: phai
No: khong
I don’t understand: toi khong hieu

Travelling
I would like a ticket to … – toi muon mot ve di …
How much is the ticket? – bao nhieu tien mot ve?
I want to go to … toi muon di den …
Is there a bus to Da Nang? – co chuyen xe buyt di Da Nang khong?
When is the next train? – chuyen xe lua ke tiep vao luc nao?
How long does the trip take? – hanh tring mat bao lau?
I would like to go by express train – toi muon mot chuyen tau toc hanh
What time does the train arrive? – xe lua den luc may gio?Shopping
I would like to buy some clothes – toi muon mua mot it quan ao
How much is it? – gia bao nhieu?
It is too expensive – mac qua
Can you lower the price? – co bot khong?
Oh, it is still very expensive – o, van con mac lam
Can I have a look? – toi co the xem duoc khong?
I will take this one – toi se mua cai nay
They don’t/ it does not fit me – no khong vua voi toi
It is too small – no nho qua